Black Sabbath (Album)
Overview Black Sabbath is the debut album by the British heavy metal band of the same name, released on Friday 13th February 1970. Writing The first song written for the album was "Wicked World", which has roots in Tony Iommi and Bill Ward's band before Black Sabbath, Mythology. Iommi said "One time at rehearsal, I played a riff that made the hair on my arm stand on end. It was such a different vibe, I knew that was it... But 'Black Sabbath' came soon after, and that took a total turn and it grabbed us all." Most of the lyrics featured on the album were penned by bassist Geezer Butler, who, at the time, had an interest with black magic, but did not practice it. "All these horrible things kept happening to me..." said Butler, "I was lying in bed one night and I woke up suddenly and there was a this black shape at the foot of my bed. I wasn't on drugs, and I didn't drink in those days..." After telling the story to Ozzy Osbourne, the vocalist wrote the lyrics to the song "Black Sabbath" as a warning about Satanism. Most of the music came from jams during rehearsals and on stage, including "N.I.B." which began when Butler played the bass riff and the other members joined in. The song's title came from Osbourne claiming that Bill Ward's beard looked like a pen nib. Recording After recording various demos, including "The Rebel" and "When I Came Down", Sabbath entered Trident Studios again on 10 November to record a cover of the Crow song "Evil Woman (Don't Play Your Games with Me)". Bill Ward said on the recording of the cover "I didn't want to do the song, I din't like the song... We did it because we thought at the time, 'Well, I guess this is what you have to do to make a hit record'." Funded by Tony Hall, the band entered Regent Sound Studios and were given two days to record the album. It was done for £600. The first day, the 17th, was spent recording, while the following was mostly made up of mixing and editing. "Warning" was recorded with an eighteen minute guitar solo by Tony Iommi, but this was cut down by producer Rodger Bain. The band had no control over this, nor did they have any input on the final mix. During the recording of the album, Gus Dudgeon had bugged the band to record the previously demoed "The Rebel". Cover and design The photo that serves as the album's cover was taken at Mapledurham Watermill, Oxfordshire bu Marcus Keef, who took note of the subject matter of songs such as the title track and "N.I.B.". The cover features a woman clad in black in front of the watermill, either clutching part of her black cloak or a black cat. The original pressing of the album was a gate-fold, featuring an inverted cross inside, with a poem: "Still falls the rain, the veils of darkness shroud the blackened trees, which contorted by some unseen violence, shed their tired leaves, and bend their boughs towards a grey earth of severed bird wings. among the grasses, poppies bleed before a gesticulating death, and young rabbits, born dead in traps, stand motionless, as though guarding the silence that surrounds and threatens to engulf all those that would listen. Mute birds, tired of repeating yesterdays terrors, huddle together in the recesses of dark corners, heads turned from the dead, black swan that floats upturned in a small pool in the hollow. there emerges from this pool a faint sensual mist, that traces its way upwards to caress the chipped feet of the headless martyr's statue, whose only achievement was to die to soon, and who couldn't wait to lose. the cataract of darkness form fully, the long black night begins, yet still, by the lake a young girl waits, unseeing she believes herself unseen, she smiles, faintly at the distant tolling bell, and the still falling rain." Promotion The cover of the Crow song "Evil Woman (Don't Play Your Games with Me)" was released as a single on the 9th January 1970, with the b-side of "Wicked World". The single was originally pressed by Fontana, and when Vertigo took over, they repressed and re-released the single. Reception Black Sabbath reached the Top Ten within weeks of its release, peaking at number 8, and spending 42 weeks in the listings. Legacy The album was cited as one of Rolling Stone's top 500 greatest albums. Track listing Original Album: US Version: 2009 Bonus Tracks: Personnel Band: Geezer Butler - Bass Bill Ward - Drums Tony Iommi - Guitars Ozzy Osbourne - Vocals, harmonica (credited as "Ozzie Ozborne") Additional Rodger Bain - Jaw's Harp ("Sleeping Village" only) Production Produced by Rodger Bain Engineered by Tom Allom and Barry Sheffield Artwork Album design and photography by Marcus Keef Expanded Edition: Co-ordinated by Steve Hammonds and Jon Richards Art direction and design by Hugh Gilmour Remastered by Andy Pearce Sleeve-notes by David Wells Additional photographs by Chris Walter Production co-ordination by Michelle Callaghan References # Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath: 2009 Sanctuary Records Expanded Edition # https://www.discogs.com/Black-Sabbath-Black-Sabbath/release/7005263 # http://liaverse.blogspot.com/2014/02/eponymous-black-sabbath-album-gatefold.html